A series of contracts for equipment, armaments and other assets for the Polish Armed Forces, financed under the SAFE loan facility, were scheduled to be signed on 28 May. Among them were agreements related to the naval branch of the armed forces. As part of this process, a contract worth PLN 1.5 billion for the construction and delivery of two hydrographic vessels under the “Hydrograf” programme was signed at the Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. shipyard in Gdańsk.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, as well as Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, the Polish government’s plenipotentiary for the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Polish Navy’s senior command, executives from Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. and Remontowa Holding, as well as local authorities and other state institutions, including the Armament Agency.

“This is a major investment in security in the Baltic Sea. Production of the ‘Miecznik’ frigates is underway. Additional vessels will soon be launched. The ‘Ratownik’ rescue ship, the Kormoran-class minehunters, the ‘Delfin’ intelligence vessels, and now two hydrographic ships are all being built. These capabilities will support not only our own armed forces, but also allied forces wherever they operate. The Navy has not been overlooked by parliament. It is extremely important that all branches of the armed forces — the land forces, air force, territorial defence forces, special forces and the navy — will receive equipment procured under the SAFE programme, as part of the major modernisation effort that has accelerated in recent weeks. And this is not the end of our procurement plans. Continued support for the Navy will be ensured,” said the head of the Ministry of National Defence.

“From the very beginning, while designing Poland’s application to the SAFE programme, it was important for us that all branches of the Armed Forces should benefit from equipment financed through this mechanism. This has been possible because Poland is the largest beneficiary of the SAFE programme,” emphasised Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka.

The signing of the agreement also follows the preliminary market consultations announced in June 2024 concerning a hydrographic vessel for the naval forces. The executive contract was signed by Major General Artur Kuptel, Head of the Armament Agency, and Dariusz Jaguszewski, President of Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A.. The total value of the two vessels amounts to PLN 1.5 billion.

Although the exact delivery date was not disclosed during the event, Adam Ruszkowski stated during his speech that the contracts guarantee continuity of work for the armed forces “until 2029”, indicating that he expects additional naval orders to be placed as early as 2027.

“I hope these ships are not the final word, and we are waiting for further projects, because 2029 is approaching very quickly, while we already need additional programmes in 2027. Everything good still lies ahead of us,” he stressed.

According to the Polish Ministry of National Defence, the vessels to be built under the “Hydrograf” programme will be specialised support ships designed for the acquisition, collection and processing of geospatial data using advanced specialist equipment. They will possess the capability to carry out geographic support and navigational-hydrographic tasks for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces and allied forces both domestically and abroad, as well as the ability to exchange data with equivalent NATO systems. The ships will become part of the Hydrographic Support Squadron of the Polish Navy’s 3rd Ship Flotilla.

The new vessels will replace the Project 874 hydrographic ships ORP Arctowski (266) and ORP Heweliusz (265), which have remained in service since the 1970s. Although they are not intended for strictly combat-related missions, they constitute an important element of the navy’s operational capabilities due to their ability to monitor and map the seabed, including tracking changes caused both by natural processes and human activity. The latter capability is particularly significant in the context of protecting critical subsea infrastructure, including transmission cables and pipelines.

According to the Polish Ministry of National Defence, the vessels to be built under the “Hydrograf” programme will be specialised support ships designed for the acquisition, collection and processing of geospatial data using advanced specialist equipment. They will possess the capability to carry out geographic support and navigational-hydrographic tasks for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces and allied forces both domestically and abroad, as well as the ability to exchange data with equivalent NATO systems. The ships will become part of the Hydrographic Support Squadron of the Polish Navy’s 3rd Ship Flotilla.

The new vessels will replace the Project 874 hydrographic ships ORP Arctowski (266) and ORP Heweliusz (265), which have remained in service since the 1970s. Although they are not intended for strictly combat-related missions, they constitute an important element of the navy’s operational capabilities due to their ability to monitor and map the seabed, including tracking changes caused both by natural processes and human activity. The latter capability is particularly significant in the context of protecting critical subsea infrastructure, including transmission cables and pipelines.

The contract for the construction of hydrographic vessels is important not only from the perspective of maintaining and enhancing the capabilities of the Polish Navy, but also for sustaining the development and operational continuity of the domestic shipbuilding industry. Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. is currently responsible for the construction of three Kormoran II-class minehunters. All three vessels have already been launched and are now undergoing outfitting works. They are set to join the 12th Minesweeper Squadron of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla, based at the Naval Port of Świnoujście. The first units are expected to enter service later this year, while the naval ensign is scheduled to be raised on the final vessel in 2027.

The Gdańsk shipyard is also constructing two signals intelligence (SIGINT) vessels under the “Delfin” programme. Although the Swedish defence group Saab serves as the prime contractor, the ships are being built entirely at Remontowa Shipbuilding. Both vessels have already been launched and are expected to enter service from 2027 onwards. They will become part of the Reconnaissance Group of the Navy’s 3rd Ship Flotilla.